


Gomensai to the End

by mimicsexual



Category: Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW Comics)
Genre: Aftermath of Violence, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst and Feels, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Bittersweet Ending, Fist Fights, Flashbacks, Heavy Angst, Mental Breakdown, Mental Health Issues, Military Backstory, Near Death, Past Character Death, Regret, Suicide Attempt, Violence, Violent Thoughts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-04
Updated: 2020-10-04
Packaged: 2021-03-07 21:27:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,047
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26814355
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mimicsexual/pseuds/mimicsexual
Summary: After finding out Tangle and Whisper are still alive Mimic follows their message for the last showdown
Comments: 2
Kudos: 3





	Gomensai to the End

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this because this will be important for a future episode of Starley Quinne, not upcoming but near future. Like the episode after the next one. Also because I wanted to show people how I write Mimic because I got accused of woobifying him. I see him as a tragic character. The kind where you wanna comfort them, but also punch them. I see Mimic as someone who's been through a lot of trauma and also did things to worsen it. Such as betraying his team and indulging on his worst thoughts. I see him regretting things but due to pride and mental issues he won't allow it. 
> 
> I'm putting a tw for suicide attempt

The sun had begun its ascension, the golden rays illuminating the sky. The stars faded away among the sea of orange and purple. Soft beige clouds swam across the atmosphere, there was a slight breeze. So many little things to appreciate. The soft greenery of the forests or how the stones among the sandy ground shone when the sun hits it just right. But there was no time for that. No time to relax or idle on. Not for Mimic. He always took note of everything, but not because he admired it, rather because his life depended on it. As prey to the sea, among the ignorant land dwellers and even to other lowly villains Mimic had to always be one step ahead of everyone. One mistake could be the mark of his final days. He pressed on, the Omnipotence speeding on by the minute.

It had been several hours since the bunker exploded, his now second attempt to take out Whisper, and first to take out that liability Tangle. He replayed the battle as his tentacles danced in the wind. He smiled as he remembered how naïve Tangle was, running off so carelessly and trusting “Whisper” so willingly. He smiled even wider thinking about how she too fell for his game, granted she was hesitant but in the end, they all fall prey to the siren’s deceptions. But his smile slowly dissipated as he remembered how it ended. Whisper managed to get the upper hand, even with Mimic’s attempt to break her. He gripped on the handlebars as he remembered what he did, shapeshifting into her deceased friends. He figured the sight of them would’ve shocked her stiff and with one slit to the throat, it would’ve ended everything. But when he turned into the arms of the group, Smithy, it all fell apart. Instead of taunting Whisper, he began talking to himself, verbally berating you could say. Whisper was too shocked to fully listen to his rambles, but one line caught her attention. “You were supposed to look out for us but instead you failed to just that!” Rage built up as she realized what the octopus was trying to do. He was trying to blame her for their deaths, wipe the blood away onto her. She was the scout of the group, she was their lookout, the eyes. How dare he? How dare he try to act like the victim? Acting as if he dwelled in the same pain as she did? She didn’t think much before the cube wispon slammed into Mimic's stomach. The force of the assault threw him against a wall of crates and disrupted his form. What laid before she was her former comrade. And yet not. He wore the old cloak, only now was it tattered and torn. The beautiful baby blue and indigo stripes they once adored were now covered in bandages. His right eye was covered, and his beak bore skull-like markings and markings of thick black tears ran down his left cheek. What in the world happened to him after he abandoned her? That didn’t matter.

The young wolf held the weapon above her head, eyes widen, tearing up and teeth snarled. “You sold us out! You betrayed them! Betrayed me! I’ll make you pay! For all of them!” That was all he wanted to remember; he shook his head blocking out the memory. He noticed he was nearing his destination and began to decelerate. Once he stopped, he stared out into the horizon. The sun was a quarter way up, the purples in the sky had faded into a warm pink. Again, he gripped onto the handlebars and snarled. He nearly had her in his clutches. Whether it was getting her off guard or angry enough to forget her surroundings, but he didn’t. Instead of chasing after him, she went after that lemur. That damn Lemur. To him she was a dime a dozen, he’d met so many like her. Zany social butterflies of a hero, loud too. Why was Whisper so attached to her? More importantly, why was saving her worth more than exacting revenge? She was so close to falling into the deep end, drowning by his hands. But she didn’t and he hated that.

Regardless he still had a job to do, to inspect the scene and report their deaths. There wasn’t much to report. The area was vast. Nothing was left of the old bunker. No one could survive an explosion such as that. He got up from the vehicle and pulled out his communicator. “My Doctor, Mimic reporting. I’m here and I can confirm they’re gone. It’s all gone. Nothing but soot and slag.” Eggman silently looked on to the desolate grounds. “Since my job is done, I’ll be returning on home.” The octopus was about to turn away before he heard the Doctor cackle. He turned back to see Eggman wiping a tear away, “Do you take me for a fool? I want you to comb through every mote, every lump, nook, and cranny. You will not leave until I have definite proof of a job completed. You already failed once.” Mimic gritted his teeth as he stared at the Doctor with his uncovered eye. “If I recall, I brought them all to you, practi-fucking-cally gift wrapped and just begging to be decimated. Do not blame me for where your machines lack.” He stepped back onto the bike as the Doctor yelled at him. He taunted the old man by yawning and rolling his eyes. At this point, these rants were nothing more than mere background noise. He revved up as Eggman screamed at him, “ARE YOU EVEN LISTENING TO ME?” Mimic gave an assuring look, one built on a lie. “Why of course I am. But I have this thing called a job because someone who’s too fucking lazy to get off his fat ass and do anything himself and is keeping me from doing my work,” he said in a sing-song tone. “Besides,” he said as he took off. “Don’t you have bigger things to worry about than one little mercenary?” Eggman looked as if he were about to blow a gasket. Out of all the lackeys, mercenaries, and buffoons who worked under his heel, Mimic was the worst. The octopus always talked back and was violent without warning. Not to mention the assassin cursed like a sailor. Eggman took a deep breath and scoffed, it was probably what he would’ve wanted. “May I remind you that little mercenary is a threat to the Empire. Not only is she highly destructive with all those Wisps, but the Resistance sees her as a symbol of hope along with the hedgehog. Any more of that will give the wrong idea to others. I want people to fear me.” “I understand,” replied Mimic.

Why did he say that? He knew Whisper was a threat. The little girl had the sharpest eyes he’d ever seen. Next to his of course. She may have been a scout, but she took out tanks and was the turning point for many of the missions. Just like him. When he started as a soldier, he had potential like none had seen before. His shapeshifting and acts got him deeper than anyone else. His quick thinking and eyes helped him create several different concoctions for his team. Whether it be poisons, toxins, or antidotes he was the one behind it. He rose the ranks rather quickly before meeting what would be the Diamond Cutters and leaving to be with them. He began to think about the softer memories with them. How they all clicked so effortlessly, how they shared a past of misery and loss. How despite how others perceived him, they still loved and wanted the best for him. Especially Whisper. Suddenly he felt a sharp almost sick feeling in his chest. Was this guilt? He shook it off as he reached the safe. It was the only thing standing. Had they?

“It can’t be,” he whispered rushing over to it. He looked around and the inside of it. Please let there be some sort of proof. A body, singed hairs, ashes, anything! But there was none. None of them showing they were dead that was. He looked over to the ground and saw footprints. Fuck.

“What kind of an assassin are you,” shouted Eggman. Mimic growled to himself wanting nothing more than to wrap his tentacles around the Doctor’s throat as he gasped for dear life. But he held his tongue, this issue angered him more. He knelt to the ground and inspected the footprints, something wasn’t right. Everything was in uniform, so the safe protected them from any injury due to the explosion. Great. He grumbled to himself as he followed the trail. “What is it you bottom feeder? Speak up,” the Doctor yelled. Mimic stopped in his tracks and snapped his head towards the Doctor. Mimic was called a lot of words, words that could create their version of a demented rainbow. That word, that damn word bought on an intense bout of indignation. That man better be grateful they weren’t in the same room at that very moment. “Shut the fuck up Overlander,” he growled with an intent to kill if not for the distance. Eggman stared, frozen in his place. Very few people enjoyed working for him, but no one had ever threatened the Doctor in that matter. The octopus didn’t even have to say it. Those lifeless eyes sparked a rage like no other. Whatever composure Eggman had was now gone. He slammed his fist on his desk and began shrieking at the octopus. Again, Mimic only tuned it out, only getting a “your life is in my hands” and other threats. You would think threats from someone like Eggman would shake someone to their core, and yet Mimic stared on as if this were the norm. He lived a hard life of violence and abuse, this was nothing. He reached a cliff and sighed, grinning at the site. “Simmer down my good Doctor. By the time the sun sets it’ll be done.”

What was bestowed before he was a message. On the ground was written, “We end this where we started.” The message was signed by the various wisps of hers. Where had they started huh? The old Diamond Cutter base. Eggman was about to continue his spiel before Mimic turned off the communicator. “Oops,” he said in a mockingly innocent tone. He “clumsily” dropped the communicator to the ground and took down upon it. If he had known working with Eggman involved not only dealing with his constant bullshit but getting your pay cut while the other bumbling idiots got paid higher. The only thing that made it bearable was Starley. Just being able to see him, hear his voice, and bask in his presence gave him a high like no other. He didn’t even notice he began to salivate over the platypus assistant. When his drool hit a tentacle, it brought him back from the daze. He lifted his leg and broke the communicator with one swift stomp. He felt the device crunch under boot as he smushed it further into the ground. Even though Starley made the hell worthwhile there was no way he could go back. The thoughts about him were becoming more and more difficult to battle. Thoughts of an impure lust he’d never felt before, ones that were chained up even further back than the ordinary thoughts about maiming or slaughtering others. He made his way back to the Omnipotence and made his way to the final battle.

They’d be expecting him, he knew that. As he watched the sunrise head on higher and higher, the sky nearly turning a bright blue he thought of his plan. He knew of a secret entrance into the base, underneath the waters, one, not even Whisper knew about. It was where he’d go to escape his travesties and swim to the underwater abyss. The waters brought him such tranquility, this was where he was meant to be, in his element. But it also brought great agony. He remembered his childhood, how the other orphans ran away from or bullied him due to his “creepy nature.” He remembered his mother’s cane and her words that struck just as hard. She was an old-fashioned woman, corporal punishment, and working for your meals was common. He knew he’d never belonged upon the land, who could ever understand someone like him? But even in the sea, he didn’t belong. He was alone. “It was better this way,” he’d often tell himself.

He reached the bay, and, in the distance, he could see the old base. If this was going to work, he’d have to go incognito. He removed the cloak, jeans, and boots. If he tried shapeshifting into that blue hedgehog the clothing would give it away. He took a deep breath and quietly made his way into the water. As an aquatic mobian, he was a born natural when it came to swimming. He could stay in the water for hours at a time without needing to come up for air, his eyes could see much more than up with the land dwellers. Not to mention, as an octopus he was born with siphons. Useless on land, but in the sea, they helped his get out of tight situations and so he used them for acceleration. As he neared the fight he stopped just where the wolf and lemur were. He slowly lifted his head from the water as they sat by the front of the base. He wondered how long they’d been there.

He heard Tangle chuckle trying to break the tension. “You’d think after that he’d go overboard on getting rid of us.” Whisper merely messed with her Wispon. “Mimic never exactly liked taking help from others. Even before it, so,” She said her words drifting away like a ship at sea. Tangle looked on with worry. She had only learned about her friend’s trauma just a night ago, it only made her feel better that now Whisper didn’t have to carry the burden alone. “So, the plan,” she asked. “Check the back. He’ll be there or here,” replied the wolf. “But when’s the question. Maybe you scan the area again? It’s been hours,” said Tangle. Mimic sunk back into the water and made his way to a door underneath the base. He was right under their noses. He grinned as he slowly opened the door. All he needed to do was subdue Tangle and take her as a hostage. Make it so the only way to get to Mimic was to kill her, and when Tangle permitted her to do it, he’d finish her off and finally bury the hatchet. He climbed into the base and changed into the heroic blue blur. Playing the same card twice was tricky, but Tangle was nothing more than some random yokel. That big-hearted furball would fall under his song once again. He snuck his way to the back of the base and opened the door. This secret spot was going to his grave.

The mammal’s ears shot up and they turned to the direction of the noise. “Guess that’s my cue,” Tangle said making her way inside. She ran to where she thought she heard the noise and bumped into someone along the way in. She stumbled but caught herself, in front of her was Sonic. Right? “Sonic she asked in confusion. “What are you doing here.” The “Sonic” dusted himself off, “Word’s been going around about someone who looked just like me. I’ve already gone through the trouble before and don’t want another repeat. So, I figured I come and lend you a hand.” She wanted to trust him; she wanted so dearly. But the last time she saw what she thought as Sonic, he gave some sob story about how Whisper was under the Doctor’s control. “How did you get here? And know where to go? Why didn’t you let us know where you were,” she asked all at once. “Shit,” the shapeshifter thought to himself. He was relying on her being the stupid fur brain she was, such a foolish thing to do. Regardless the show must go on, “Well, I wanted to step in. But this Mimic guy was worse than I thought. I know I faced a lot of dangers: battle-hungry zetis, man-eating aliens, the entire planet shattering, and don’t get me started on that masked clown. I could write you a book about all the perilous adventures. But for the first time, seeing Mimic in action, I felt my life was in danger. If anything happened to me, I don’t know how others would react. No, I do. When I was imprisoned Eggman took over practically the entire planet. I was only gone for six months, imagine what would happen if I did perish. I’m sorry I didn’t step in sooner; I just can’t go through that again. You understand right?” He amped up his game, lowering his voice and even cracking at times. He even cried when he talked about “his” absence.

Tangle sighed, “Alright Sonic, I’m sorry I doubted you.” Mimic smiled internally. “Sonic” pulled Tangle in, “It’s okay! Now tell me what you got cooked up for Mimic, I can’t wait to see his face when you two take him down.” Tangle nodded in glee as she led him down to a room. Mimic was confused, she should’ve taken him to Whisper where he would cue the waterworks again. After all, Sonic was a hero, but he was also a mobian like everyone else. She’d understand. What was she doing? “I’ll take you to Whisper but I wanted to show you a little trap I worked up for Mimic,” she said. She took him inside to a room; he remembered this place. This was where they’d come together and discuss plans and battle tactics. He remembered the countless nights he stayed in there, double, triple checking the plans. Sometimes even more. He looked around; everything was the same as it was before that mission. Only now dust had settled on the furniture, cobwebs rested in the corners. The few posters that hung on the wall had now faded. But what hung in front of him were three masks, not just any masks. They were the mask of his old teammates. “Sonic’s” ear twitched in confusion, “Mind explaining this trap to me?” “Let me show you Mimic,” she said pressing a button on a remote her tail held.

Mimic didn’t even get a word on before the room illuminated with the holographic blue lights. The masks shone video recording of his old teammates. Smithy, Claire, and Slinger. They all had happy faces as they looked upon the octopus, this was old feed. “You’re pretty good,” Slinger’s voice said. “That was clever, nice work Mimic,” Smithy beamed. “I foresee, a happy future for us,” Claire spoke. “Sonic’s” eyes widen as he listened to the messages. They, they were happy. They were happy, because of him. Him of all people. He felt his throat tighten as he saw their faces. Oh no. Could it be? Guilt? He tried ignoring it. Lies. That’s what they were. Surface level kindness lathered upon the bread of lies. He meant nothing to them. What a stupid trap. But that wasn’t the end. The others faded away, but a holographic Whisper shone before him. She was beaming in the recording and her voice showed it, “It makes me feel so much better when you’re down there watching our backs!” Oh no. No no no no. Not this, not her. Not her telling him how safe she felt, because of him. Not the memories bubbling to the surface. No, please make it stop. Tangle watched as “Sonic’s” form begin to shake. She watched as the azure fur turned into a deep purple, the quills slowly turning into tentacles. She heard soft mumbles and choked almost cries coming from the man. She swore she heard an “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry,” from him. She figured he’d seen enough. The footage turning off snapped him out of it as he listened to the lemur’s footsteps. This time Mimic wore what seemed to be a leather jacket torn jeans, she looked and saw spiked bracelets on his wrists. To her, she couldn’t make out much due to only seeing his backside.

“Was it worth it? Betraying all of your friends just to save yourself,” she asked. Mimic slightly turned to her; she could only catch a glimmer of his right eye before he turned back to the wall. Tangle took a deep breath, holding back tears as she remembered their final words. “You know, what you did was beyond unforgivable. She can’t take back all the trauma you placed upon her. I hope you understand that” she said. For once she was serious, there weren’t any of her zany tones in there. Mimic still didn’t respond. “But I know a certain hero who sees good in everyone, even in those who others think are a lost cause. And I see that in you, I know you cared about them.” She extended her arm out. “If you surrender now and come with us, I promise I’ll be there to see you grow into a better person.” He didn’t see it, but he knew she was smiling with that hand out for him to take, expecting him to change. He thought about it. It seemed nice. Even if the world was against him, he’d at least have one friend. But the more he thought about it, the more it made him sick. How did he know she wasn’t going to ditch him as everyone had so far? That she didn’t hate him just as much as the others did? How could he even believe her words to be true? No, he wasn’t the one with a problem. It was her. This was all her fucking fault. If she had never existed, Whisper would’ve hidden in the shadows and Eggman would’ve never had found out about her. He could’ve gotten off scot her if it wasn’t for her, that bitch. Not only did she ruined his plans, but she also rubbed it in his face by stealing Whisper. His friend. He didn’t care that they were enemies now, he was the only one who she felt close to. How could she find someone like that after losing her friends? Her family? And to add insult to injury, Tangle believing he was a good person? Seeing good in him? After what he’d done? Believed that he could be saved? What a fucking joke. What a fucking move to pull. He hated her. How could she do this to him? There was no good in him. No one saw that all those years ago, why would they change now? And in turn, why would he change this? It was far too late, so why don't we continue the act? After all the show must go on, it needs its lead actor. 

He began to quietly laugh, and Tangle laughed too, assuming he was just nervous. That theory was thrown out the window as he screamed in terrorizing laughter. All he could think about was how much he hated her. How he wanted to make her pay. To make Whisper suffer just like now. He was the goddamn siren! Sirens don’t get happy endings or fulfilling relationships. They draw others into lies and dreams to never exist and feast upon their gullible bodies. He was a monster and the moment he lied them to their deaths was the moment he sentenced himself to a lifetime of misery and suffering. His screams echoed around the base and Whisper jolted from her position. He was here. She quietly made her way to the base concerned. She had never in her years together with him ever heard such noises. When he finally stopped his laughter, he slowed his breathing and turned to the lemur. She hadn’t even noticed he changed form again. He wore the tattered cloak, the boots, and the old bandages. The uncovered eye was as lifeless as ever, staring off beyond her and everything around him. Whisper reached the room and peered in careful to make sure he didn’t see her. “There were never my friends, I wouldn’t have even considered them comrades. You see they were a means to an end.” They were stunned, to say the least. “Don’t you get it? We cephalopods are rather greedy; I only did it for the rewards. I have to live somehow. You’d be surprised by how much fuckers will pay you to ruin his day. Not like I wouldn’t do it for free, that bastard always got on my nerves. But their playtime nearly got my ass fried. It wasn’t difficult really. They wanted to play hero and lost the game, I won because I’m a professional.”

Tangle’s mouth dropped in horror as she processed what he said. He proved her wrong. She clenched her fist and shook with anger. The fact that he not only hurt her friend but lied to her all this time, she never felt such rage before. “You. Are. The. Worst,” she said throwing back her fist. She threw the first punch, but the octopus grabbed her fist inches from his face. “And you’re deluded,” he said with a smile. “Friendship is nothing more than a liability. You can only count on yourself. After all” he paused as his fist met her cheek. “You nearly got my little Whisper killed thanks to your friendship.” She fell to the other and rubbed where she was hit. She looked back up to see Mimic charging towards her. She got up and dodged his charge. He quickly changed direction and went back to her. Fists flew as they aimed for each other, dodging the blows. Some of them but the nearly missed hits didn’t do much damage on either of them. Tangle was starting to get overpowered as she avoided his attacks. She was young, she was fast. Roughhousing and backyard fights were common for a rascal like her. She even took out the badniks that invaded her home. But this was different. This wasn’t a halfwit bucket of bolts. This was Mimic, he’d been fighting for far longer than she had joined the battle with the Resistance. Not just roughing among the boys, but fighting the battle calls for. He had the eyes, the arms, and the mind to kill. He wasn’t going to stop just because of how young she was. Before she knew it, he grabbed her shoulders and combined a headbutt to a knee in the stomach. She fell over, groaning in pain. She rubbed her head and held her stomach. He knocked her out, but she still had her tail. She considered the limb her second hand, being able to extend several meters long and use it as a catapult and spring.

But before she could do anything with it, she heard Whisper. All she heard was her cries before seeing Mimic being slammed by her Wispon. She winced as she heard a crunch and the force slammed Mimic into a wall. He groaned as he spat out a mixture of ink and bright blue blood. He covered his mouth as more blood spilled from his face and realized she’d nearly cracked his beak. He growled as he picked himself up, wiping the blood on his cloak. Whisper looked in dismay as she looked at the blood and looked at her wispon, his blood imprinted on it. His eyes widen when he saw Whisper. She thought this meant this fight was about to become harder for him. He wondered how much of his screams she heard. Oh, why did that matter?

He laughed as he licked the blood around his mouth, “I can see a part of me will always be with you. I remember attacking someone like that, only their neck snapped.” Whisper snarled as she looked over to him. “I will never be like you!” Before she could charge to him, Tangle made her way to Whisper and placed her hand on her shoulder. Whisper looked over and sighed, calmed by her presence. “How quaint,” he mocked. “Best friends, together forever.” He pulled out two knives, “And you’ll die together. He threw the knives and the girls dodged the serrated weapons. No matter to him. He’d taken on bigger groups anyways. The girls ran over for the attack.

They both tried landing punches on Mimic but even with two opponents and bruised beak he was able to dodge them. The more they tried the more he smiled. For him, each battle was an ego stroke. People would underestimate him and the next thing they knew they were bleeding out, fading away as the sea mobian looked upon them with lifeless eyes, asking if they had fun. But mere punches bored the octopus. Before they could throw the next assault, they were greeted with two tentacles that wrapped around their arm. The two that were free, boosted Mimic as he did a spilt kick to their stomachs. Tangle fell back and groaned again. She felt sick after being punched twice, she even threw up in her mouth. She had never dealt with this much violence before, especially from someone like him.

Whisper pressed on and attacked again, this time, however, Mimic placed his hands behind his back as his tentacles did the work. They blocked her blows and he threw back some in return. She fell to the ground as she collected herself. She was tired, she knew Tangle was tired. But they had to keep going, she couldn’t let him know he was winning. She grabbed her wispon and was about to strike him with it before he stopped her. His hands and tentacles pushed again the wispon as she struggled against it. They moved around the room as they tried to overpower the other. “Stop playing,” Whisper said. Mimic perked up, “Playing?” “This whole time,” she said. “Could’ve ended it but didn’t. Is this a game? Having fun? Seeing me hurt?” He listened to the infliction of her voice; it cracked her the end. They’d been tracked each other since the war ended, a third of the year had passed by then. He could hear how tired; how broken she was. He wanted to feel bad, he did. But it was almost over. Soon she’ll never have to deal with this pain.

He eventually overpowered her and pushed her to the ground. He took the wispon into his hands as his tentacles released it. The wolf was tired, on her knees trying to ignore the pain. As the octopus as about to put his finger on the trigger, he felt off. Was he forgetting something? Or rather, someone? He looked up to see the lemur’s tail above him, waiting for the perfect moment to grab him. He didn’t let her know he was onto her, that’d ruin the fun. Just as the hair on her tail nearly met with his slippery skin he spoke up, “Now now, I didn’t forget about you. Everyone gets their turn.” Before she could even react, his tentacles slithered towards her. One restrained her tail, two took hold of her arms and the last one wrapped itself around her throat. She felt the air leave from her mouth, struggling to get it back. This was the end. Whisper had a gun to her head; Tangle was grasping for dear life. He had won. He positioned the wispon and closed his eyes. And just like that….

Nothing happened. He made the mistake by taking one last look at his former comrade and saw that she was crying. Tears streamed from her face, but her face did not show sadness. But acceptance. She put up a fight, she had a good run, but her chapter has come to an end. His breath hitched as his teammate’s words replayed in his head. Their voices were gentle but all at once was a calamity. And among the sea of unreachable noise. He heard the familiar voice of a little girl, the girl who said he made her feel safe. He felt his body become lighter as memories of their friendship flashed by him, one stood out.

He was back in the base, clean cloak, no bandages, or face markings. He listened to the raindrops hitting against the old roof. The howls of the wind relaxed him after a long night of planning. He was about to call it a night before he heard a knock. Who could be up at this hour? He walked over to see a young Whisper. She looked upon him rubbing her sleepy eyes. “Can’t sleep,” he asked. She nodded in response. He let her in as he went to grab a blanket. Whisper yawned as she sat on the couch. Mimic handed her a blanket and she took it wrapping herself around it. It was his blanket, but he was plenty used to being without one. He noticed as she looked down to the floor, her tail was tucked under the blanket and she whimpered. He sat beside her and placed his hand on her shoulder, “Bad dream?” She nodded. “Do you want to talk about it,” he asked. She was silent, he noticed her eyes started to well up. He moved closer to her, concerned for her wellbeing. “If I tell you, will you promise to not be mad,” she asked him. “When have I ever been mad at my little marigold? You can tell me anything,” he said. The little wolf wiped her tears away. “I had this awful dream. Our friends...were all killed. I don’t know how but I remember their screams. They were calling out for us. But we didn’t come. I was hiding and then I saw you, you were talking. It was about how you needed to find me and finish the job.” She took a deep breath to prevent more tears, “It’s just a dream, I know you would never do that, but I just got scared.” Mimic kept his composure as he wiped away her tears. “Mimic,” she said. “You’re my best friend.” The octopus nodded, “You too.” She looked over to him, eyes glossy from the tears, “And we’ll always be friends? Right?” He nodded in reply. She smiled as she sniffled and dried her tears with the blanket. The two laid two as she fell asleep, at peace beside him.

Whisper looked up and saw a sight like no other. Not only was Mimic’s form was becoming unstable, but he was bellowing out sobs, pleading to this “Etals” that he couldn’t do it. That he just couldn’t. She watched as inky black tears streamed down his face and fell to the floor. She noticed that Tangle was free from his grasp, but she was recovering from the near-death. Coughing, choking out tears as she rubbed her throat. She watched as the wispon slowly slipped from his grasp and landed on the floor. The noise seemingly brought him out of this state, and he looked to the girls. He walked past Whisper heading towards the door. Before he left, he took out one of his many knives. “You know what,” he said throwing the knife to the wall, making its mark underneath the masks. “You’re not even worth the effort. They watched as he walked away and listened to his footsteps fade with each second that past.

Tangle got up and limped over to Whisper. “Y-yay,” she said with a scratchy voice. “We won!” Whisper pushed Tangle off her and began to cry, “No we didn’t! We didn’t win! He didn’t win! Nobody won!” She looked at the masks, the knife. Here was Mimic, her once closest friend and her leader. Who then betrayed them in supposed cold blood, talking about how they never mattered to him. And now back again to seemingly caring about her, about them. She didn’t know what to believe. Tangle hugged her as she cried her heart out. She cried out for them. For Smithy. For Slinger. For Claire. For the lost child in her. For Mimic, the lonely octopus she loved those years ago.

As for Mimic, he left the base and returned home. He wondered how long it’d take for Eggman to forget about him. He thought about Abyss, he’ll miss those missions they were assigned together. They clicked so easily and out of the Egg bosses; he liked her the most. They were similar species sure, but she understood his experiences and didn’t treat him like a monster. Even if her persistent friendship annoyed him at the time, he grew to consider her a friend. He thought about Starley, his everlasting crush. He loved him so and hated him in the same tongue. But he hated him for the reason that he couldn’t get him to see how much he adored him. And hated himself for not telling him how he felt. He thought about Whisper and the trauma he handed down to her as if it were a family heirloom. He hated that he promised her he’d protect her and couldn’t even save her from himself. He thought about Breezie, the first friend he ever made. He thought about Nack, the only land mobian who ever understood his struggles. He thought about “Doll”, the little project he took as a means for petty play. The childlike doll, like Abyss, was persistent with them being friends. While he was cold at first, in time he grew to enjoy the being’s company. He thought about his mother, the woman who permanently changed how he would develop for years to come. But he couldn’t blame her for how he turned out, this was also his fault. He watched as the streets became duller and duller due to the ground and eventually disappearing altogether. He was close, almost home. Once near the house, he parked the Omnipotence and began his walk back inside. He quietly slipped inside and looked around. The home was clean, sleek countertops and soft furniture, he smiled happily he got to see his home like this for one more last time. Shame he would have to ruin the cleanliness of the environment. He made his way into his room and to his closet. His tentacles pulled out a box and spilled the contents on the bed. What fell out was a gun and a note only saying that he was sorry. He sat on the floor and caresses the weapon. Despite a voice telling him to stop he too tuned it out. This was for the best. He couldn’t ignore the skeleton any longer. He couldn’t ignore how guilty he felt about robbing Whisper of a happy life, not only one but nearly for a second time. He couldn’t ignore that he worsened his own life because he let people’s expectations of him being a monster become a reality. He was sorry. Sorry that he didn’t even get to say goodbye to his friends, didn’t get to say sorry to whisper. But it would be okay. They would eventually move on and he’d fade into obscurity.

“Doll,” thought he heard something and went to investigate. He saw Mimic’s vehicle was outside and was thrilled. He was finally home! He didn’t like it when he would be gone on these long-lasting missions, being alone reminded him of the darkroom Eggman shelved him after failing to work him. He liked Mimic, even if he was a little mean at times. The doll rushed over to Mimic’s room and opened the door saying how much he missed him before the gem glowing an intense blue. Mimic cried as if his heart were being ripped into two. He sobbed with an intensity he’d suppress all these years. “Doll” slowly floated over to Mimic asking him what was wrong. He asked if he had failed his mission knowing failure upset him dearly. He looked down and saw it, the gun, and the note. He hadn’t been around for long, but he knew what those two things put together meant. He took the gun; Mimic didn’t even notice due to his grief. The doll quietly floated away and went outside. He held on the gun and threw it to the sea. He watched as the gun made a splash and disappeared into the waters. He went back and Mimic must’ve noticed it was gone. The being may not be capable of crying, but he could feel emotions and he felt a fraction of the octopus’s pain. The two held each other for dear life and just cried. “Doll” pleaded Mimic to never leave him, that he cared even if he was alone, he was his friend. Mimic cried out for what he almost did. The uncertainty of the future scared him, but maybe you weren’t supposed to see what comes next. The universe didn’t owe you such a request.

By now the sun had begun its descension. Pinkish beige clouds danced amongst the sea of the fading orange and yellow troposphere. The setting sun shone across Mimic’s home and on the waters of the beach he resided on. The two resting as Mimic held the doll, his cheeks stained in ink but he slept with a slight smile on his face. It set down on Spiral Hill, onto Jewel’s museum the beetle had closed the museum providing her friends with the comfort they needed after what they’d gone through. The three watched the sky hoping for a better tomorrow. It set down on the old Diamond Cutters base. The rays made its way inside the building of worn memories. The masks and knife hung among the wall like a memorial to the friends Whisper had lost. And for Mimic, for what he robbed of himself and for the old self that died among his team. Nobody won the battle and, but the war of strife and grief had now reached its conclusion. Among the ashes, they will rise again.


End file.
